A Bowl of Soup for the Soul
by csimouse
Summary: Sara is being sent home because she is sick. What will happen if Sara doesn't have work to fill her days?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.

* * *

"Sara, you need to go home. You are not feeling well."

"But I'm fine, Catherine."

In her best mother voice, Catherine responded. "As your acting supervisor, I am telling you. Take the night off and go to bed."

"Catherine, I don't want to argue with you. I need to go see Archie and then the fingerprint lab to find out about that breaking and entering case I am working."

"You're going to be stubborn about this, aren't you?"

Sara crossed her arms and stood there. "Are we finished, Catherine?"

"No, this is not finished. I am taking you home myself just as soon as I let Warrick and the rest of the team know."

Sara just plopped down on the couch in Catherine's office and pouted. She laid her head back and was beginning to realize just how terrible she felt when she heard Catherine walking back toward the office.

"Ready to go?" Catherine said, before realizing that Sara had fallen asleep on the couch. She couldn't bear to wake her…Sara looked so peaceful laying there. Catherine gently moved Sara so that she was lying down. Then Catherine walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a blanket that she kept there for Lindsey. After she had covered Sara up, she rubbed her forehead for just a bit before standing up. She walked out of her office and to the break room and told the team that until Sara woke up, she would be there in the lab.

* * *

Several hours later…

Sara rolled over and sat up, not exactly sure where she was at first.

"Hi, Sara, feeling any better?"

"Umm… not really. I think I will just go home now."

"Well…shift was over about an hour ago."

"Oh, wow! I don't know what came over me."

"I do. You are sick and you are going home to my house."

"But, Catherine! I am quite capable of taking care of myself." Sara said as she tried to stand up. The sudden movement caused her to nearly fall down.

Catherine rushed to grab Sara to prevent her from falling down. She helped Sara sit back down on the couch.

"I just got dizzy for a second." Sara paused as she tried to stop her head from spinning. "I will be fine."

"And what kind of friend would I be if I were to let you drive in this condition? You could get into an accident."

"Well, fine… drive me home and let me be." Sara said, her energy draining out of her very quickly.

"But who will take care of you? If you stay by yourself, you may be too tired to fix yourself something to eat, or you won't rest, or you wont go to the doctor or you might try to get out of taking your medicine." Catherine knew she was beginning to ramble, but she knew how much Sara needed someone right now. She knew Sara had been made to fend for herself for too long. "So, what do you say?"

* * *

AN: Will she go with Catherine? Just keep reading to find out.

AN 2: This was written by request from someone. Hope it helps you to feel better!


	2. Chapter 2

"So, what do you say?"

Sara sat there, pondering this question. She knew that Catherine just wanted what was best for her. Catherine was probably right about what she had said. Sara probably would go home, but would do little resting and would not eat right.

Sara also longed for someone to take care of her, even if she wouldn't admit it to anyone. It had taken a long time, but Sara had finally let herself trust Catherine. Whenever Sara had gotten sick as a child, her parents had ignored her or blamed her for it.

"Okay, I will take you up on that offer," Sara said quietly. Sara tried again to stand, but another wave of dizziness washed over her. "I'll be ready to go just as soon as this feeling passes."

"Oh, Catherine, you are still here." Warrick said as he and Nick walked into Catherine's office.

"Yeah, we were just about to leave."

"How are you feeling, Sara?" Nick asked, his voice full of concern.

"Like the world is spinning around me…" Sara replied weakly.

"Warrick," Catherine questioned. "Do you think that you could carry Sara to my truck?"

"Sure. Anything for you and Sara, two of my favorite ladies."

"Sara, do you need anything from your locker?"

"Just my backpack, I guess."

"I'll go get it." Catherine responded.

Warrick walked over and looked at Sara, "You ready?" Sara nodded silently. He scooped Sara up effortlessly. Sara laid her head on his shoulder. They group walked out to Catherine's vehicle. Nick opened the door and Warrick put Sara in the front seat. He helped her to get buckled in. Warrick closed the door and walked around to talk to Catherine.

"When I was carrying her, I could feel how warm she was. I know she can be pretty resistant to accepting help though. I know that you will take care of our girl for us."

"If you need anything, you can call me." Nick said.

"That goes for me too," Warrick added.

"Thanks guys. Sara is lucky to have you two."

Catherine got in and started the engine. As they pulled out of the parking lot of the lab, Sara turned to Catherine. "Can we go by my apartment?"

"Want to pick a few personal things?"

"Yes, please."

"That shouldn't be a problem." Catherine responded. As she drove through Las Vegas towards Sara's apartment, Sara drifted off to sleep again. Once they had arrived, she touched Sara on the shoulder lightly.

"Huh?" Sara said dreamily.

"We are at your apartment building."

"Oh, okay." Sara moved to unbuckle her seat belt.

"You stay put. I will come around and help you." Catherine got out and came around to open the door. She helped Sara out of the vehicle. The pair walked slowly to Sara's apartment. Once inside, Catherine was surprised at how homey it was. It was simply decorated, but warmth was very much a part of it.

"Umm… Can we take a breather for just a bit, Catherine?"

Catherine nodded. She sat down in a chair as Sara sat down on the couch. Catherine continued to look around the apartment.

"What is it, Catherine? Not what you expected?"

"Well, to be quite honest. I didn't expect it to be so..so…" Catherine couldn't seem to find the right words.

"It's okay, Catherine. I know what you mean." Sara smiled at Catherine. "Well, I guess we should get on our way now. I'll be right back." Sara got up and walked slowly down the hall to her bedroom. "You can with me, if you want."

Catherine got up and walked to where Sara had stopped. Once Catherine was next to her, Sara walked into her bedroom. The bedroom was just as warm as the living room. "You can sit down on the bed if you like." Sara said as she reached into the closet for a duffel bag. She sat it on the bed and started putting her pajamas and some other things in the bag. "Catherine, would you mind going into the bathroom and getting my things from there?"

"Okay." Catherine walked into the bathroom. As she did, Sara slid a forensics journal into her bag as well as her laptop.

"Here you go, Sara" Catherine said as she walked in. "Is that it?"

"Yes, let me just grab one more thing and I will be ready."

"Okay. "

Sara walked over to the bedside table and opened the drawer. From the drawer, she pulled a small stuffed tiger out.

Sara stroked it tenderly as her eyes began to water a bit.

"Are you okay, honey? You look like you're about to cry."

Sara nodded, "It's..It's just that my head hurts so much."

Catherine nodded and helped her back to the car.

While driving back to Catherine's, Sara managed to stay awake. She remained quiet, though. Small talk had never been her forte. "Sara?" Catherine said hesitantly.

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Okay."

"I noticed that you brought a stuffed tiger with you. What's that about?"

"Just leave it alone, Cath."

"It's just that you seem very attached to it."

"Cath…drop it."

"It is just something else that surprised me about you is all."

"You really want to know about the tiger?" Sara replied quietly a minute or so later. "I'll tell you. "You know I am an animal lover, right? I have a friend who loves tigers. She has helped me through some tough times. She gave it to me as a reminder of her. Whenever I am nervous about something, I can hold that and think about her and it calms me."

"So, you are nervous about coming to my house?"

Sara nodded, not able to look at Catherine, afraid that Catherine would be upset with her. Just about that time, Catherine pulled into her driveway. She turned the car off. "Sara?"

Catherine reached over to touch Sara's hand. "It's okay to be nervous. I know how hard it is for you to trust someone."

Sara looked at Catherine's hand resting upon hers and then at Catherine. "Thank you."

"You are most welcome, honey."

Catherine came around and helped Sara out of the car. Once inside the house, Catherine showed Sara to the guestroom. "Do you mind if I lay down, Catherine?"

"No, of course not."

Sara sat down on the bed and tried to lean over to take off her boots. She laid back on the bed before she could finish.

"Want some help?"

"I'm sorry. I should be able to do it myself."

"Sara, it's okay. While you are here, just try to take it easy and get well. There is no rush." Catherine said as she bent down to untie Sara's boots. She pulled them off as gently as she could.

"You mean that?" Sara asked nervously. "When I was little…I was…well, I was always told to hurry up and get well. My mom told me I was taking too much of her time."

"Oh, Sara." Cath was shocked at Sara's admission. Tears formed in her eyes as she helped to lay Sara down and cover her up. "Sara, do you want your tiger right now?"

"Mmhmm. I put it in my backpack. In the front pocket. "

Catherine reached over and pulled the backpack to her. After opening it up and getting out the tiger, she handed it to Sara. "Thank you, Catherine."

Sara soon drifted off to sleep as Catherine sat close by.


	3. Chapter 3

Sara soon drifted off to sleep as Catherine sat close by.

Catherine walked out of the room to take a shower after Sara had been asleep a good ten minutes or so. Sara, although feverish with sweat, looked like a peaceful angel lying there with her tiger. She was clutching the tiger tightly as she lay there.

--------------

In the bedroom,

Sara started to whimper and fidget in her sleep. In her mind, Sara was reliving a moment from her childhood. Her mom had to be called at work to pick Sara up at school. Sara had started running fever while at school. Sara had begged the school nurse not to call her parents. Sara knew that her parents coming, regardless of who came to get her, would not result in anything good.

Sara lay shaking in the nurse's office. She was afraid of what would happen. Despite coming to school with bruises and other signs of neglect, nothing was ever done. Her mother came stomping in the doors of the school. Sara heard her before she ever saw her.

"Where in the hell is that little brat? What's so wrong with her that I need to leave that damn job of mine to come pick her up at school? Couldn't you just make her walk home?"

"Ma'am..." Principal Hanson spoke, "Sara is in the nurse's office."

"Well, where is that?" Her mother screeched.

Sara thought to herself, "You should know where it is. You have been here enough to explain the abuse you have heaped on me."

The door slammed open, causing Sara to cower in the corner of the bed. She could tell her mother was way past upset. It also appeared to her that her mother had been drinking.

Laura Sidle walked over to Sara and pulled her up by the shirt. "Get up, you little brat. You know I had to leave work to come get your sick self. You are probably faking or making up stories, just to make my life difficult."

Sara knew better than to try and talk to her mother when she was like this. But, of course Sara's silence made her mother angry as well.

Sara gathered up her belongings and followed her mother to their car. Before they even left the parking lot, the attack continued. Her mother wasn't even paying attention to driving. "Well…I will drop you off. Your father should be home. And then I will go back to work. And now, since I had to miss time to pick your sorry ass up…I will either have to work late or miss getting paid for this time."

Laura Sidle pulled the car up along the sidewalk in front of the dilapidated house that was where they were living at the time. "Well, get out!"

Sara, already feeling bad from the fever and compounded by her mother's verbal attacks, nearly broke out in tears as she walked up to the door. Even before she walked up to the door, she heard her father yelling at the television program he was watching. He too, sounded as if he was drunk as well.

She tried to be as quiet as she could as opened up the rusted screen door. But, the next door neighbors dog saw her and started barking. Maybe he is too drunk already to notice or maybe he will think that the dog is barking at something else.

As soon as Sara walked in the door, her father turned and glared at her. "Why aren't you at school? Skipping out, huh? Lazy piece, you are."

Sara raced up the stairs to her room. Her father, too drunk and too lazy, just let her go. Sara put the chair from her desk, up under the doorknob. She laid down on the bed and cried. She felt so bad and nobody cared. Would she ever have someone who loved and cared for her?

"I'm sorry for being sick. I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"

Catherine, who had finished her shower, walked by the door to where Sara was sleeping. When she heard Sara whimpering and saw her fidgeting, she went in and sat down on the bed next to Sara. She wasn't sure how Sara would react if she tried to touch her, so she just sat there, hoping Sara could sense her presence.

Sara awoke startled. When she saw Catherine sitting there, she tried to back up. It scared her, at first. But, as she realized where she was and what had happened, she calmed down. She reached for her tiger and held it close to her. She whispered to herself, "It's okay. I'm safe. Catherine cares for me. So does Warrick and Nick and Greg."

Catherine sat there and waited for Sara to calm herself down. When Sara realized what she had said, she gasped and looked at Catherine. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Catherine questioned as she reached to touch Sara's hand.

"I must have had a nightmare and… and…" Sara stopped. "You probably don't care about me other than the fact….that you are my supervisor and I am your employee."

Catherine, stunned by Sara's words, scooted closer to her. "Sara, you are a terrific person. No matter what you think…I do consider you to be more than a coworker. I consider you a friend, a very dear friend. And do I care about you a lot, just like Warrick and Greg and Nick."

"Really?" Sara said kind of nervously, avoiding eye contact with Catherine.

"Mmhmm." Catherine responded. "Sara, would it be okay if I hugged you?" Sara nodded.

Catherine leaned over and took Sara in her arms. Sara whispered, "Thank you, Catherine."


	4. Chapter 4

Sara whispered, "Thank you, Catherine."

"You are welcome, Sara." Catherine replied.

"I'm sorry that I am taking up so much of your time. You probably have other stuff that you need to do. I…"

"Sara, don't you worry about a thing." I have already called in Sophia to cover for me tonight."

"But, Cath, you…you didn't have to do that."

"I know that. But, I wanted to."

"But what about Lindsey?"

"Lindsey is staying at a friend's house. The friend was having a slumber party. She is going to be picked up from school to go. Nancy already carried her to school."

"Catherine, can I tell you about the dream I was just having?" Sara said nervously.

"Of course you can. But, only if you are ready."

"Umm…Catherine, before I start…can I ask a question?"

"Of course."

"Will…will…will you hold me? I felt safe when you hugged me a few minutes ago."

"Absolutely." Catherine scooted close to Sara and wrapped her arm around the brunette's shoulders. With her other hand, she took Sara's hand in her own.

Before continuing with the description of the dream, Sara whispered a mumbled, "Thank you" to Catherine.

When she was done, Catherine was in tears. Sara realized this, and started crying anew. "I'm sorry. Please don't cry. I didn't mean to make you cry."

"Oh, Sara, honey…don't apologize. You did nothing wrong."

"But, I hurt you."

"No, Sara. I want you to understand something. I am crying, yes. But, it's not for what you did. It's for how they treated you. Pardon me for saying this, but your mother never knew what a special treasure she had in you. She didn't deserve to have you."

Sara sniffled. "Catherine, I am not feeling much better. I really do think that I need to go to the doctor. I know that I need to go to the doctor more often. But, going to the doctor alone just terrifies me. Will you…" Sara stopped.

Catherine waited for Sara to continue. When she didn't, Catherine spoke. "Will I what?"

"Will you take me and stay with me?" Sara said in a rush, avoiding eye contact with Catherine.

"Most definitely, Sara." Catherine responded. "It's what mothers do with their children."

* * *

An hour or so later,

Catherine and Sara sat in the waiting room of Dr. McKinley's office. The nurse walked out, "Sara Sidle, will you come on back?"

Sara stood, still a bit shaky, and Catherine was right there to steady her. Catherine placed her hand on Sara's back as the two walked through the door.

After getting some basic vital signs checked, Sara was led to an exam room. While they waited for the doctor, Sara sat steeling herself for the visit. "Cath?"

"What is it, Sara?" Catherine asked as she stood and walked over to Sara. "I promise that I will explain why I needed you to stay with me later."

"Okay. Whenever you are ready…"

Catherine was still standing next to Sara when the doctor walked in. Sara's body tensed up and Catherine responded by placing her hand on Sara's back. Sara flinched, but relaxed just a bit. She looked into Cath's eyes, begging her not to leave. Cath mouthed the words, "I'll be right here."

Catherine remained close by as the doctor examined Sara. The doctor stated that Sara probably had the flu. "I recommend that you get lots of rest and drink lots of fluids. If you have any pain or fever, you can take some over the counter medicine. If you are still not feeling any better or have gotten worse in the next couple of days, please do not hesitate to come back in."

"Thank you," Sara said weakly.

* * *

Once they had gotten home, Catherine helped Sara back into bed. But Sara couldn't sleep, so she decided to get up and take a bath.

She sat on the edge of the tub and let the hot water run. She started getting undressed when her eyes caught a glimpse of the scar that cut across her shoulder. She had received it one summer when she had come in from playing outside with the neighbor. They had been playing in a little splash pool and all she had on was a swimsuit. Her father had been drinking and gotten into an argument with her mother over what they were having for a dinner. He broke the beer bottle just as Sara came through the door. As she tried to run past him, he hit her with the bottle, causing a jagged scar across her left shoulder.

She stood and made sure that the door was locked. She knew in her heart that was she was safe. Catherine wouldn't hurt her or let anybody else hurt her, but her mind couldn't let go of the fear that she had often felt as a child. In the bathroom, she felt even more vulnerable.

When she got into the tub, she allowed the water to wash over her body. She got her hair washed. She continued with her bath. Her body slowly relaxed. She must have dozed off, because Cath calling to her from the other side of the door awakened her. "Sara! Sara! Are you okay?"

Sara shook her head to try and clear the fogginess from it. The water had grown cold and her fingers had become wrinkled. "Umm…yeah. I must have fallen asleep. I'm sorry."

Sara stood slowly and got out of the tub. She wrapped a towel around her and opened the door. "I'm sorry to have worried you."

"It's okay. I just came in to check on you and you weren't in the bed. I'll leave and let you get dressed."

Sara nodded as she closed the door. She got dressed in a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. She went and crawled back in bed. "Sara? Are you hungry?"

"Not really," Sara said as she lay there shivering. "But, I could use another blanket if you have one."

Catherine walked over and felt her head, "My goodness, Sara! You are burning up. I am going to take your temperature. You stay right here." Catherine went into the bathroom and rummaged around until she found the thermometer. "Open up."

Sara pursed her lips and shook her head. "You know Lindsey used to do the same thing…" Catherine smiled. "I just need to know what I am dealing with temperature wise."

Sara slowly opened her mouth, allowing Catherine to take her temperature. When it beeped, it had registered 101.4 degrees.

"Would you like me to give you some ibuprofen for the fever?" Sara shook her head when Catherine asked and tried to back away. Catherine became concerned, "What's wrong, Sara?"

"I trust you, I do. It's just that when I was little…my parents always added something to my medicine. When I was older, I started refusing to take it. But, now…I try not to take medicine unless absolutely necessary."

"That makes sense."

"Sara, I promise you that I just opened this and all the safety precautions were in place."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"And you'll be close by…if I start feeling funny?"

"Right in this room, if you want me to."

Sara nodded as she took the ibuprofen from Catherine and took a drink of water to swallow the medicine with.

"I'll sit right here."

Sara drifted off to sleep as Catherine sat there. Sara awoke a little while later when she heard the doorbell ring. Catherine, who had dozed off in the chair, woke up too. "You stay here, okay? I'll be right back."

"Ok."

Catherine walked back to the door. "Feel up to some visitors for just a little bit?"

Sara nodded.


	5. Chapter 5

Catherine walked back to the door. "Feel up to some visitors for just a little bit?"

Sara nodded.

In walked Warrick and Nick. "How you doing, Sara?" Nick questioned.

"About the same I guess."

"Is Catherine taking care of you?"

Sara turned to look at Catherine and smiled. "She is doing a great job of taking care of me."

"Sara, would you mind and if the guys don't either, if ran to the store while they are here?"

"Sure, no problem, Cath" Nick responded. Warrick nodded his head in agreement.

"Sara?" Catherine questioned.

Sara's eyes were filled with tears. "You…you…promise you will come back?"

"Of course I will. It IS my house." Catherine giggled.

Seeing Catherine laughing caused Sara to break down into tears. She thinks I'm stupid or can't take care of myself or…I can't take this. I'll just get the boys to take me home. Sara thought to herself.

Catherine immediately felt bad when she saw Sara's tears. She went and sat down on the bed next to Sara. She gently touched Sara's head. Sara flinched and tried to move away. "Sara," Catherine said softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry, sweetheart."

"No, it's my fault. I shouldn't be here... You are right. This is your house. I'll just leave. I'm sorry."

"Sara," Catherine touched Sara's chin and turned it toward her. She reached up and wiped the tears away from Sara's cheeks. "Sara, I want you here. I want you to know what it feels like to be taken care of. I am sorry for joking with you like that. I wasn't thinking. Forgive me?"

"You promise you didn't mean to hurt me?"

"I promise. That was the last thing from my mind. I would never hurt you, EVER." Catherine responded as she pulled Sara into a hug.

Sara whispered. "Umm…could I have some Mt. Dew?"

"Well, I don't have any. But, I will pick some up at the store."

"And you will come back and take care of me?"

"Of course I will." With that, Catherine left.

"You sure you are okay?" Nick questioned.

"Yeah, I'll be okay." Sara responded. "I'm sorry that you are having to take up my slack because I am out and keeping Catherine from working."

"It's okay, Sara. You need to take time for yourself every now and then."

"I suppose you are kind of wondering why I reacted the way I did. I want to apologize for falling apart in front of you."

Warrick sat down next to Sara. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "Not a problem."

"Yeah, Sara. You are such a strong person. Who doesn't have moments of uncertainty at times?" Nick said as he sat down on Sara's other side.

"I think I owe you guys an explanation. You both are always so good to me. And I know that there have been times when I haven't treated you as good."

"Only if you want to, Sara. We know how much you value you your privacy." Warrick said tenderly.

"I want to do this." Sara said quietly as she reached for their hands.

"When I was little…" Sara stopped, a flood of memories coming back. Sara tried to take a deep breath and started coughing.

"Just take it easy, baby girl." Warrick comforted her.

Nick questioned, "Want something to drink?" Sara nodded and Nick went to go get a glass of water.

When he returned, she took a drink and tried to start again.

"When I was little, I would get sick as kids do. Whenever I did, it was no big deal around my house. My parents just used it as another excuse to ignore me. Well, except when they were drinking. If they carried me to the doctor because I was sick…and that was rare…if I was given cough medicine…I never got any of it. Sometimes, though, they would give me medicine that made me feel funny."

"Well, that happens sometimes.' Nick responded.

"No, Nick. You don't understand. They gave me medicine that wasn't mine. Medicine that was probably illegal."

Upon hearing that, Warrick took Sara in his arms and held her. "Oh, Sara. I am so sorry that happened to you."

"Sara?" Nick said gently. "I grew up in a family where I never had to worry about being taken care of. I can see why you fight so hard for the victims."

"And even now," Sara continued, "I don't really like taking medicine because of it. But that is not all. Even more damaging is the way my parents treated me." Sara stopped and reached for the glass of water.

After taking another drink, she continued. "Nick, how did your parents act when one of you got sick?"

"Well, they always made sure we went to the doctor if we needed it. My mom always was there to take care of us kids. I remember she would always treat us real special. We got home made soup. If we had to miss school, she would make sure we got lots of rest. You know, I think, she kept a box of treats for us that she took out only when we were sick. Stuff like coloring books, toy cars, dolls for my sisters, cards…that sort of thing."

"You see…my parents never did anything like that. I remember one time when I had a stomach virus type thing. Mom actually fixed dinner. She fixed enchiladas with rice and beans. Just the smell was making me nauseous. She yelled at me to come to the table. I remember walking slowly to the table, trying to avoid being sick. I remember being very dizzy. I finally made it to the table. I tried telling her that I wasn't hungry. Her response was that I was going to eat because she had worked hard to fix dinner."

Sara laughed at the thought. "Hard work to her was taking it from the refrigerator and putting it in the oven."

"Well, anyway, she forced me to eat it. I'm sure you can guess what happened."

"You got sick and threw up, huh?" Nick asked as he rubbed Sara on the back as a sign of comfort. Sara nodded.

"Then she yelled at me for being an ungrateful brat. I was sitting there crying. She just picked up her keys and walked out of the house. My father wasn't even home. He was probably out at a bar where my mom more than likely joined him."

"Can you believe that? Here I was, about 6 or 7 years old tops, sick and I have just thrown up and she leaves me alone."

Warrick responded, "My Grams took care of me when I was sick. If she couldn't stay home with me…then she made sure someone was there. It was usually our neighbor. I think her name was Minnie Washington. But all the kids in the neighborhood called her Miss Minnie. She was like a member of our family. Heck, all the kids in the neighborhood probably thought so too. She always welcomed all the kids into her home." Warrick stopped. "Wow, I haven't thought about her in years."

"So what happened?" Nick questioned, unsure of how much to ask Sara. He knew that what she had told them already required a great deal of trust on her part and it wasn't easy for her to give that up.

"Well, I actually went and ran some water in the tub. I took a bath and put myself back to bed. So when I got scared about Catherine leaving that is why. I never have felt so loved and cared for in all my life. You guys…the team… are my family. And umm…Lindsey is lucky to have Catherine for a mom. She is the kind of mother I wish I had."

"I always knew you were a strong person, Sara. But, I never realized how strong you really were. You really are an inspiration."

Sara blushed at the compliment.

"Do you mind if I lay down and rest? I am feeling kind of worn out now."

"Of course, you lay here and rest."

"You won't leave until she gets back?"

"We'll stay. We won't leave you."

Warrick helped Sara lay down. Sara drifted off to sleep very quickly. Nick walked out of the room and came back with a chair. Warrick and Nick sat there in the room with Sara. Talking in hushed tones, Nick said, "Warrick, my man…did you ever guess that about Sara?"

"No. I always knew there was something about her, though. It just breaks my heart. She puts up such a brave front and really she is just an absolute sweetheart. People don't realize what a blessing they truly have when they know Sara."

About 45 minutes later

Catherine returned from the store. She got all of the groceries out of the truck before coming to check on Sara. If Sara had been there alone, she would have gone to check on her first. But, she knew the guys had promised to stay with her.

When she walked into the bedroom, she saw that Sara was asleep. Nick and Warrick had kept their word. They were sitting in the bedroom with her.

"Hi, Cath." Nick said as she walked in.

"How's our girl doing?" Catherine asked.

"She's doing okay. She went to sleep shortly after you left." Warrick responded.

Warrick and Nick got up to leave. "Thanks guys."

Nick walked over and touched Catherine on the shoulder. "You take good care of Sara, okay?"

Catherine replied, "You bet I will."

Warrick leaned over and hugged Catherine, giving her a kiss on the cheek. In a tender hearted voice, Warrick whispered. "Cath, make sure Sara knows what it means to be loved and taken care of…She…she needs to know that."

Catherine nodded and winked. " Don't worry. I am already working on it."


	6. Chapter 6

Catherine nodded and winked. " Don't worry. I am already working on it."

Sara began to stir. She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. When she looked up, tears filled her eyes. "Where did Nick and Warrick go?"

"Oh, Sara," Catherine said as she sat down next to her. "They needed to get ready for work. Don't worry. They stayed until I got back. They didn't want to wake you up."

"You promise?"

"Mmhmm. Do you feel like eating anything?"

"Not really."

"How are you feeling?"

"About the same. Do you mind if I get out my laptop and do some work?"

"Work?!" Catherine said, a little bit shocked.

"Well, not work exactly. I would like to check my email and maybe work on my story."

"Your story?" Catherine questioned.

Sara nodded and smiled. "I know it may sound silly to you, but I came across a website where ordinary people can write their own stories. So, I have written a few and they have been well received."

"That's not silly. I think it shows how creative you are. You are just full of secrets, aren't you?"

"Well, I guess so."

"Do you mind me asking what it is about?"

"Well, the one I am writing now is more of a humorous story…it won't be very long. Maybe a couple of chapters. It's about a team of CSIs and what happens when they attend a costume party."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes." Sara said quietly. "Umm…Catherine?"

"Yes?"

"I probably should try to eat something, huh?"

"Yes, you should at least try to eat a little bit of something."

Sara nodded, "Ok."

"What about some oatmeal and toast?"

"Umm…. I am not too fond of oatmeal." Sara said. "Do you have any waffles?"

"I think so. If not, I will make some for you."

"Oh, I don't want to be too much trouble. I have imposed on you enough already."

"Sara, I won't hear of it. If you want waffles, then waffles you will get."

"Thank you, Catherine."

"Want to go with me or do you want to stay here?"

"I'll go with you. And when I am done, I will start working on my story." Sara uncovered herself and stood up slowly. Catherine extended her hand to Sara and Sara grasped it. They walked into the kitchen and Sara sat down in a chair.

Catherine walked to the refrigerator and opened up the freezer. "Well, I guess I am all out of frozen waffles. You will have to make do with homemade, I suppose."

Sara nodded. "If you are sure that it's not too much trouble…"

"No, not really. I was actually craving waffles myself."

"Can I do anything to help?"

"Not a thing. You just sit there and take it easy."

Catherine worked on making the waffles. When the waffles were made, she and Sara sat the kitchen table eating.

Sara started coughing.

"You, okay?" Catherine questioned.

Sara grabbed her mouth and jumped up from the table. She started running toward the bathroom. She just barely made it, before getting sick in the toilet. She started crying. Catherine, who had been right behind her, helped her to sit down.

Catherine reached into the cabinet and got a washcloth. After running warm water over it, she used it to wipe Sara's face. She then sat down and held Sara in her arms.

"I'm sorry, Catherine. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Sara." Catherine responded.

"But…."

Catherine shook her head.

"But…but…you worked hard to make the waffles. And…. and…I don't guess that I was quite up to eating yet. I guess I was just slipping into my old habits of trying to hurry up and get well. You know, my mom…always rushing me to get better."

"Oh, it's okay, Sara. It's my fault. I was just glad to see you eating that I let that win out."

They sat there for a little while until the feeling of nausea seemed to pass. When Sara began to feel a bit better, Catherine helped her back to bed.

"I'm going to sit here and work on my story now."

"Sara…you sure you feel up to it?

Sara nodded. But, in her mind, she wasn't so sure. I like Catherine taking care of me. She is just doing what any good mother would. Why do I have to be so resistant?

"Catherine," Sara hesitated.

"Yes, Sara?"

Sara wavered. Should I tell Catherine that I really don't feel good? I haven't done anything to deserve this, but here she is taking care of me. I haven't done anything to help her. She is probably tired herself and hasn't gotten any sleep, because of me.

"Umm…umm… never mind."

Catherine just nodded. "Do you want me to sit with you for a while?" Catherine had a feeling that Sara probably would agree to that, but was unsure of how to ask for that.

Sara responded shyly, "Yes…but only if you want to. You are probably tired and want to go to bed. It is after midnight."

"Hey, we work the graveyard shift. It's not a problem. I swear."

"But, you probably haven't got much rest. You have been busy taking care of me. I shouldn't take up any more of your time."

"Sara Sidle!" Catherine said. "If I didn't want to help you, I wouldn't have invited you to come!"

"Cat, could you…would you…." Sara paused. Catherine didn't push. She did not want to push Sara into talking.

Sara took a deep breath before continuing. In one breath, she said, "Would you come sit with me on the bed?" Sara looked away, somewhat afraid of how Catherine would react.

Catherine smiled at Sara and walked over to the bed. She laid her arm on Sara's shoulders. Sara laid her head on Catherine's shoulder. "Thanks Catherine. Thanks for everything."

AN: Thanks go out to tophetangel! She actually wrote a story for me where the CSIs did attend a costume party. :)


	7. Chapter 7

AN : Sorry for the delay on this one. My grandmother passed away somewhat suddenly. I haven't felt much up to working on it lately. But, I am back now.

Sara laid her head on Catherine's shoulder. "Thanks Catherine. Thanks for everything."

Catherine looked at Sara and smiled. She was reminded of the time right after Sara found out about Hank and Elaine.

Flashback

Catherine had taken Sara to her house. Sara had put up a very brave front. But when she finally relaxed, Catherine had seen how much Sara had been hurt by the experience. The hurt in those brown eyes made Catherine just want to wrap her arms around Sara and tell her that Hank was no good for her.

So, she took a chance and did. Sara broke down and cried. Catherine had held Sara and rocked her ever so gently. It was a natural response to someone crying and Sara just let her. Catherine whispered words that she hoped would comfort Sara.

Sara had questioned her, " What is wrong with me? I step out of my comfort zone and allow myself to care about someone and they hurt me."

Catherine whispered, "Shh…. There is nothing wrong with you Sara. You are a beautiful and smart person."

"No, I am not. I will never be good enough. I am not worthy of being loved." Sara pushed Catherine away at this point, wiping her tears away furiously.

Catherine slowly reached her hand out and laid them atop Sara's fidgeting hands. Catherine spoke calmly and tenderly, "Sara, the fault does not lie in you. The fault lies in Hank. He doesn't know what a great thing he had with you."

"But, if I was smart…. I would have realized that he was seeing someone else."

"Sara, I have been around long enough to know that sometimes even the smartest person can miss that. Don't beat yourself up over it."

Catherine and Sara sat and talked for a long time after that.

End of flashback

Sara sat there working on the story as she lay against Catherine's shoulder. It didn't take too long for her to start nodding off. "Umm…Catherine…."

"Yes, darling?"

"I don't think I can stay up much longer."

"Ready to lay down?"

"Yes."

Catherine wanted to ask Sara something and was unsure of how Sara would react. But, she would never know until she did it. And she did want Sara to know what it meant to be loved and cared for.

"Sara?"

Sara turned her head and looked at Catherine. "What is it?"

"I…don't know how you will react to this. But, I am going to give it a shot. Ok? If you don't want to, it's perfectly all right. Would you like me to rock you? It's one of the things that I miss doing with Lindsay. She tends to be more reluctant to do it now…wanting to be a big girl, you know?"

Sara's face was a mix of emotions. She wasn't sure how to take this. To be quite honest, she really did want to be held and rocked. It's not something that she had got a lot of when she was little. But, what if the rest of the team was to find out?

"Sara?"

"I…I …would like that." Sara whispered. "But…but…" She paused. "But…can we keep this between us? I don't think I could look the rest of the team in the eye if they found out."

"Of course, Sara."

Sara scooted close to Catherine. Catherine pulled Sara into her arms and held her close. She started rocking her gently. Sara fidgeted at first. But, Catherine just continued to rock her. She fell asleep in Cath's arms.


	8. Chapter 8

Sara scooted close to Catherine. Catherine pulled Sara into her arms and held her close. She started rocking her gently. Sara fidgeted at first. But, Catherine just continued to rock her. She fell asleep in Cath's arms.

After Sara had been asleep for a while, Catherine gently laid Sara down on the pillow. She rubbed Sara's head tenderly like a mother would do and covered her up.

Catherine went to lie down in her room, making sure to leave the door open in case Sara needed her.

Catherine woke up about seven the next morning and walked into the kitchen. She started a pot of coffee and sat down her laptop on the kitchen table. After answering a few emails, she heard a noise behind her.

"Well, good morning, Sara." Catherine replied warmly. "Want to try eat something?"

"Umm… not just yet. I would like to have some coffee please."

"Sure," Catherine said as she stood.

"I can get the cups if you tell me where they are."

"The coffee mugs are in the cabinet just to the right of the sink."

Sara reached up and took two out. She poured two cups and asked if Catherine needed anything else.

"No, I like this coffee black."

Sara handed her the mug and sat down beside her at the table. As Sara lifted the cup to her lips, she smiled. "Blue Hawaiian? Does Greg know you have some of his stash?"

"Of course he does. He was my secret pal at the Christmas party. Just like I was yours."

"Oh, ok" Sara giggled. "By the way, I really did enjoy the gift card to Barnes & Noble. I was able to find some books that I had been looking for. "

"Well, that's good. I thought you might like it. I remember you saying once that in high school that you were a science nerd. But, I know how much you enjoy learning and I hoped you could find something to read."

"Catherine, I want to thank you for last night. No one has shown me that much love and attention before."

"Aww…its' no problem, Sara. I am glad that I can help you."

"I am going to take a bath and perhaps I can lay around on the couch? Or, I can just rest in my room so I won't be in the way."

"That's fine and you are welcome to lay around on the couch. Lindsey should be home soon, but that is not a problem. I was just going to spend the day doing some cleaning and some errands."

"Okay," Sara said quietly.

Sara went upstairs and took a bath. Afterwards, she put on some sweats and headed downstairs. Catherine was not around and Sara decided to take a look around. There were pictures all over the place. Pictures of Lindsey in soccer uniform, pictures of Catherine and Warrick, picture of the team before Sara joined them. Sara was touched when she saw that Catherine had framed a picture of the two of them from when the team got together to celebrate Greg's birthday party.

Catherine walked in quietly and said, "Looking for evidence?"

Sara turned and stammered as she spoke, "No..I …I just was admiring all the lovely pictures you have."

Catherine smirked as she replied, "It's okay, Sara. I'm not upset. Was there anything there that surprised you?" Catherine had never thought too much about the relationship she had with Warrick. At work, they tried to keep it under control, but every now and then the flirtatious moments would occur. Outside of work, they had spent lots of time together.

"No. Well…" Sara paused. "Actually, yes. I was surprised that you had our picture framed."

"Well, of course I had it framed." Catherine smiled. "It is one of my favorites actually."

"Really?"

Catherine nodded. Sara walked over to the couch to lie down. "Here, you go." Catherine said as she handed her a pillow and a blanket. "Is there anything else you need?"

"I don't know. Maybe a bottled water or some Mt. Dew?"

"Coming right up."

About that time, Lindsey bounded in the door. Catherine met her with a great big hug and scooped her up.

"Mommy!" Lindsey giggled.

"Lindsey, honey, Mommy needs you to be kind of quiet today. Sara is here because she doesn't feel well. You think you can help Mommy take care of Sara?"

"Sure, Mommy!"

Catherine put Lindsey down and Lindsey walked into the living room. "Hi, Sara." Lindsey said quietly.

"Hi, Lindsey. Did you have fun at your sleep over?"

"You bet I did! We made cookies and decorated them and then we ate them! Then me and Stephanie and Jade put on a fashion show with sparkly tiaras and feather boas and everything.

Rose and Molly got to be the judges."

"Really?! That sounds like fun." Sara smiled at Lindsey. Catherine came in right then, "Lindsey Nicole? What did I tell you about Sara?"

"That I needed to be quiet."

"It's okay, Cath. She wasn't bothering me." Sara said.

"Lindsey, how about you go put your stuff away?"

"Ok, Mommy," Lindsey said somewhat sadly as she walked out of the room. Lindsey, although she hadn't been around Sara too much, thought Sara was cool because she did what her mommy did and that was to catch the bad guys.

"Really, Catherine, she wasn't bothering me. I think she is adorable."

"Well, she is the light of my life. I can't imagine life without her. But, she can be a handful at times and you need your rest."

Sara giggled, " Alright, Mama Catherine."

Catherine giggled and picked up a pillow and threw it playfully at Sara. Sara sat up and in return threw a pillow at Catherine just as Lindsey walked back in.

"Pillow fight! I want to play! I want to play!" Lindsey said excitedly as she picked up a pillow and started hitting her mom.

Sara whispered, "Hey, Lindsey, come here." Lindsey bounced over and leaned over so that Sara could whisper in her ear.

Catherine looked puzzled at the two of them there. Lindsey giggled and Sara winked at Catherine. "Ready, Lindsey?" Lindsey nodded. "1….2….3!"

Together, Sara and Lindsey threw their pillows at Catherine. But when they did, one of the pillows knocked over a picture.

"I'm sorry, Catherine."

Catherine bent down to pick up the picture of Catherine and Eddie holding Lindsey when she was just a baby. "It'll be okay. It's just a picture." Catherine said somewhat forlornly. "Lindsey, could you go get Mommy the little trashcan."

Lindsey nodded and walked out. Sara was afraid of what Catherine might say that she had not said because of Lindsey being in the room.

Catherine wiped a tear away from her eyes as she remembered happier times. Sara caught this and felt terrible. She started to stand.

"Just stay right there. There is broken glass on the floor." Catherine said firmly, without looking at Sara.

"Catherine, I am sorry. I really am. I didn't mean to break the picture. I will replace the frame if it will help."

Catherine looked up about that time and noticed that Sara had her head down and tears in her eyes. She stood and walked over to Sara. She knelt down in front of Sara and laid her hands on Sara's knees. "Sara, it's okay. You don't have to do that if you don't want to. I know that it was an accident. I know that you would not intentionally do something like that."

Lindsey returned just then. Sara called for Lindsey to come sit with her. Lindsey crawled up on the couch beside Sara. Sara wrapped her arm around the little girl's shoulders. "So, tell me more about that party you went to."

Catherine looked up as Lindsey started talking and just shook her head. Sara was doing so well with her. It surprised Catherine, but then she remembered the case with Brenda whose parents and older brothers were killed. The little girl had latched onto Sara and didn't want to let go. Sara, at first, had been a bit nervous than anything. It reminded Sara of how she felt when she was younger and her father was killed. After that, Sara was a changed person, with kids at least.

From Sara's conversation with Lindsey as Catherine cleaned up the glass, she suspected that Sara had never had much experiences with real sleepover type experiences. Catherine got an idea that maybe she could have a 'girls night out' that would be open to the women at CSI after Sara was well.


	9. Chapter 9

With each passing day, Sara felt much better. Lindsey and Catherine made sure that Sara rested, ate right and took her medicine. When she was feeling better, Sara looked at Catherine as they were watching a movie.

"Catherine, do you think I could take Lindsey out tomorrow afternoon? There is something I need her help with."

"Are you sure you are up to it? I could go with you if you need help. Lindsey can wear out even the best of us." Her tone of voice changed to one filled with concern. "You are getting better, I know. But, I don't want you to push yourself if you aren't ready."

"I know, Catherine. I'll be okay. I need to get out of the house for a while."

"Okay. You can if Lindsey wants to." Catherine said with a smile. "But, don't say I didn't warn you."

Sara laughed. "Alright, I will keep that in mind."

"Hey, Linds, can you come in here please?" Catherine called to Lindsey who was in the next room playing with her dolls.

Lindsey came in the room. "Sara has something she wants to ask you."

Lindsey smiled and ran over to sit next to Sara, who had become one of her favorite people lately. "What? What is it?" Lindsey asked excitedly.

Sara smiled and whispered, "How would you like to help me with something? A mystery mission.."

"Sure!" Lindsey squealed.

"Okay, you need to get your jacket though."

"Yay! I get to go with Sara! I get to go with Sara!" Lindsey as she stood up and bounced around.

As she ran off to get her jacket, Catherine giggled. "This is going to be fun."

Sara smirked as she replied, "Of course, how could I expect anything less from the Willows women?"

Lindsey came back into the room smiling. "I'm ready!"

"Let's go."

Once Lindsey was safely secured in her booster seat, they pulled out of the driveway.

As they drove, Sara asked, "Ready to know why we are going on a mystery mission?"

Lindsey nodded eagerly.

"I need your help. I want to find something for your mom because she has been so nice to me. I will even let you pick out something for being such a big girl to help her."

"Really?" Lindsey said.

Sara nodded. "Mmhmm…"

"Cool!"

"What do you think your mom might like to have?"

Lindsey got quiet as she sat there thinking. "What about some sparkly jewelry? Mommy always takes my sparkliest tiara when she is playing dress up."

"Does she?" Sara mused.

"Uh huh. She also likes my dress up clothes a lot." Lindsey got quiet. She whispered in a sneaky kind of way. "I think she likes playing dress up. A whole lot. Even though she is a mommy."

When Lindsey said that, Sara wondered what kind of dress up Catherine might like to play. Sara couldn't help but laugh at Lindsey's innocence.

"Why are you laughing, Sara?" Lindsey asked.

"Well, Lindsey…I just didn't think about your mommy liking dress up." Sara thought to herself about what she knew of Catherine's past.

"Oh, okay," said Lindsey, still not quite sure.

Once they arrived at the mall, they started walking around. Sara insisted that Lindsey hold her hand. She would never forgive herself if something happened to Lindsey. They passed by a 'Build a Bear' workshop.

"Oh, Sara, can we give mommy a teddy bear?"

"Hmm…okay! I bet your mommy would like that." Sara said to Lindsey. She had a mischievous thought, which she kept to herself.

They decided on a bear that helped to fund literacy programs for children. They were going to pick a sound to go in it. But, Sara couldn't decide on one that she liked so they just skipped that part.

Next it was on to the outfit. They finally decided on getting a purple top with flowers and a denim skirt with rhinestones. Lindsey even talked her into getting shoes and sunglasses for the bear.

Once that was done, Sara paid for the purchases and then went into a shop that had picture frames. Sara still felt bad for breaking the picture frame earlier in the week. She picked out one that she thought Catherine would like and picked up one more for a surprise she had in mind.

Their next stop was a toy store where Lindsey got to pick out something for herself. She decided to go for a trunk that contained all kinds of clothes so that she could dress up as all kinds of things.

Before they left the mall, they stopped in the food court for ice cream. "I had fun Sara. Mommy will like her teddy bear, I think."

"Well, Ms. Lindsey, you were a great big help to me. Lindsey, I will be going back to live at my house in a day or two."

"Will you come over and play sometimes though? I had lots of fun with you. " Lindsey said a bit sadly.

"I sure will and you can always come over to my house."

"I can?"

"You sure can. Ready to head home?"

"Okay."

When they arrived back home, they sneaked back in the house and got the presents hidden until it was time to give them to Catherine.

"Well, how are my girls doing?" Catherine said as she walked from the laundry room.

"We are okay, Mommy."

"What about you, Sara?"

"Well, Lindsey was quite helpful actually."

After dinner, Sara gave the presents to Catherine. "A teddy bear?" Catherine questioned.

"It was Lindsey's idea and I didn't know what you might like. I wanted to say thank you but didn't know what would be appropriate, considering our history."

"Well, I love it. I know that going to 'Build a Bear' takes some time and thought. I appreciate it. That's all the thanks I need."

When Catherine unwrapped the picture frame, she shook her head. "Sara, I told you that you didn't have to worry about it."

"I know, but I felt bad and wanted to make it right."

"Well, thank you."

"And Catherine, thank you for taking care of me when I was sick. I realize now that people can care about each other, no matter what. "

"That's right."

Two days later, Sara went home and back to work. Now, she had a better relationship than she ever had before with Catherine and she was thankful for that.


	10. Chapter 10

About a month later…

Sara checked her mailbox and found the usual assortment of circulars, junk mail and bills. Nestled between all of that, something caught her eye. After she was in her apartment, she sat down to sort through the mail. Most went into the trash.

When she got to the pink envelope, she was intrigued. There was no return address, but she knew whom it was from. Her name and address was written in a distinctly feminine style. It was from Catherine.

'What could Catherine have sent? I just left her and there hasn't been anything out of the ordinary that has happened lately.' Sara thought to herself.

She opened the envelope and found that an invitation for a slumber party was inside. It said there would be activities and games.

"A slumber party? What is Catherine thinking? We are grown women! Honestly, Catherine, you really expected me to come?" Sara said aloud to the empty apartment.

Then to herself, she thought, 'When I see her at work tonight, I will just let her know that I am not really into that sort of thing.'

That night, she and Catherine were assigned to work together on a 4-19 in Summerlin. As they drove, Catherine decided she would try to get Sara to talk.

"How are you feeling?"

"I am feeling okay. I think I am back to normal."

"So, you will be coming to my house for the slumber party?"

Sara was taken aback by the question. "Well, I was actually going to talk about that with you. I think I am going to pass on it."

When Catherine responded, she sounded somewhat sad, "Aww…why not? It's going to be lots of fun. I am planning lots of things to keep us busy."

"Just drop it, Cath. It's not my thing."

"Come on, Sara. You will have lots of fun. It won't just be you and me. I know for sure that Wendy and Mandy are going to be there. I have even invited Judy and Sophia."

"No, Catherine."

"Let me ask you a question, Sara."

"Okay, go ahead."

"This is just a wild guess. You haven't been to a slumber party before have you?"

Sara shook her head and whispered. "No."

"And I bet, you are nervous and afraid?"

Sara nodded shyly. "When I was little, I was never allowed to have anyone come over. Not that I would have wanted to. After I was placed in foster care, I didn't have a lot of friends and would not have known what to do at one anyway."

Catherine nodded and smiled. "Why don't you give it a try?" Catherine moved her hand until it was resting on Sara's.

"Ok. I will give it a try." Sara said quietly.

It was now late in the afternoon of the party. Sara was still nervous as she threw some things she thought she might need into a bag. She picked up her cell phone and hit Catherine's number on the speed dial.

"Hi, Sara! What's up?" Catherine questioned. "Are you sure that I don't need to bring food or anything?"

"I am sure. It's all taken care of. Now, get ready to have some fun. You can start by getting yourself over here."

"Ok, mom." Sara giggled.

Once Sara arrived, her uneasiness let up a bit. Sara got out and walked up to the door. Before she could even knock, Catherine opened the door and welcomed her in. "You are the first to arrive. Why don't you come in and make yourself comfy?"

Catherine had the house decorated in pink and black. There were balloons and food was set out. Catherine showed her where she could put her things. "So, are you ready for a night full of fun?"

Sara, who was sitting on the couch, replied nervously, "I think so."

Catherine moved closer to Sara. "Sara, I want you to know that if at anytime tonight you are feeling overwhelmed and need some space to yourself, then my bedroom will be available. I want you to have fun, but I realize you are taking a major step by being here."

Sara whispered "Thank you."

Before long, the other women of CSI arrived and the party was going. The first thing that Catherine had them do was to play a game of Monopoly.

After Sara was declared the winner, Catherine gathered them in the kitchen. "Now, we are going to have a baking contest. We are going to have 3 teams of 2 people each. In this basket, there are a variety of recipes. Each team will select one and you have two hours to complete it. All the supplies are available. Pots and pans are in the bottom cabinets. Food is in the pantry and refrigerator."

Judy and Wendy paired up and ended up with a three-berry kuchen. Mandy and Sophia got together and had to make a chocolate raspberry layer cake. That left Sara with Catherine and they drew a tiramisu. Catherine whispered to Sara, "No worries. I actually make this frequently. One of my father's chefs taught me a way to do it with less hassle."

While the cakes were baking in the oven, Catherine had arranged for a friend to come over and give them all a spa treatment. "Catherine, can you excuse me for a moment?" Sara asked.

"Sure." Catherine responded as Sara walked to her bedroom. Catherine made sure that everyone was taken care of and then went to see about Sara.

Catherine opened the door slightly and saw Sara sitting on the bed. She walked over and sat down next to her. Catherine put her hand on the small of Sara's back and rubbed it. She whispered, "You alright?"

Sara nodded slightly. Catherine questioned, "Did something make you uncomfortable?" Sara nodded again.

"It's the idea of a spa treatment. I was always told that I didn't deserve to have nice things. Even now, when I treat myself to something nice, I feel bad about it."

"Sara, I want you to know that everyone is worthy of nice things, even if it is only once in a while." Catherine looked to Sara and smiled. "And, hey, you deserve it more than anyone."

Sara whispered, almost silently, "You think so?"

"I sure do! Now, do you want to give it a shot?"

"I think I will try it."

"That's my beautiful girl." Catherine said, causing Sara to blush.

Sara and Catherine stood up. Sara surprised Catherine with a hug. "Wow, Sara."

"What?" Sara said in a questioning voice. "It was just a hug. Can't I give you a hug?"

"Of course, you can! It just surprised me is all." Catherine replied. "Thank you for the hug, Sara. How about I return the favor?" Catherine said as she hugged Sara back.

They returned to the party. Sara did not want to get a facial, but did agree to have a manicure. After some coaxing from the others, Sara also had a pedicure.

By this time, the desserts were done. They all voted and decided that Catherine and Sara's tiramisu was the best by far. Catherine leaned over and whispered, "What did I tell you?"

Sara smiled and giggled.

"Okay, everyone take a break from eating these delicious cakes and let's get into our pajamas." Catherine announced.

"You can use the two bathrooms, the guest bedroom or Lindsey's bedroom to change. Me and Sara will use the master bedroom."

"Oh, we will?" Sara replied, smiling.

"Mm-hmm." Catherine smiled back and winked.

When they were in the bedroom, "So, why are we changing in here, together?"

"Because that is what you do at a slumber party. You wear pajamas, silly!"

"I figured that much out. I am a CSI, remember?" Sara laughed. "But, why did you want us in here together?"

"Well," Catherine replied, "I guess I just wanted to be first to see you in your pajamas."

Sara turned her back to Catherine and slipped her shirt over her head. She then removed her bra and put on a t-shirt. She then slipped her jeans off and got into a pair of sweat pants.

"Aww..Sara…" Catherine moaned.

"What?" Sara replied and turned to see Catherine giggling. "What is it, Cath? You act like I…"

"Like what?"

"I… I don't know."

"I should have guessed that is the type of thing you might wear."

"What's wrong with it?" Sara said a bit defensively

Catherine shook her head, "Nothing." She paused, "Let's not get into a fight."

Sara smiled, "Let's not."

As the group sat there drinking wine and eating the cakes, they decided to put a movie in.

Wendy wanted to see a sci-fi movie but was outvoted. Mandy wanted a western. They eventually decided on Pretty Woman.

Catherine brought out extra pillows and blankets. They all joined her in the kitchen to make popcorn. When they had more than enough popcorn and other snacks in bowls. They carried the snacks back to the living room along with sodas. Once everyone was settled, Sophia said, "First one to fall asleep will wake up to a surprise."

Sara looked nervously at Catherine who mouthed the words, "I'll protect you". Sara nodded and smiled.

Sara moved to sit next to Catherine on the couch. Catherine wrapped her arm around Sara, causing Sara to smile just a bit. Before long, everyone had fallen asleep. Sara was the first to wake up the next morning. She decided she would try to fix breakfast for everyone. She only hoped Catherine would be okay with it.

Within an hour, everyone was up and was enjoying the pancakes that Sara had made. "Wow, Sara! These are really great!" Judy said.

Sara blushed because she wasn't really used to compliments. "They're nothing special."

"Oh yes, they are! They are heavenly." Judy replied.

Catherine agreed. "Did you use that pancake mix I had?"

Sara shook her head, "No, these are from scratch."

"You are amazing, Sar." Catherine replied, causing Sara to blush.

After everyone finished, they started to leave. Before long, the only ones left were Sara and Catherine.

"Thanks for coming, Sara!"

"No, thank you, Catherine. Thank you for everything."


End file.
